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I hope this froth-mouthed rant finds you well. I happened to see some comments of yours reported in the Fairfax press today and thought I’d drop you a line or 30 about your complaint that the current political debate is leaving business “frustrated and disappointed”.

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Absolutely spot on, BK. In particular I like your line about the way the business sector tries to disguise its sectoral objectives as altruistic and in the national interest. One thing you have to admire about the unions – they are quite open about the fact that they work in the interests of their members and which political party they support. Would that the BCA and corporates could be so honest.
I’ll start heeding the BCA’s crocodile tears when I see them commenting about the levels and methodology behind executive salaries – if one belt has to be pulled in then they all have to be pulled in.

“We (Business) are frustrated and disappointed, for example, that the concept of “economic reform” advanced by groups like the Business Council consist entirely of proposals designed to improve the bottom lines of companies, rather than deliver improved economic performance: IR deregulation, lower company taxes, infrastructure investment that companies should be undertaking themselves, more business welfare, etc.”

Nicely put. Maybe they could also admit, at least to themselves, that the track record of many business people, especially some of the noisiest, is such that you wouldn’t trust them with your own money – so why should we listen to their expert advice on how to run the country?